The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventeen

I have never been camping in a place where there were bears, though my husband and his sister have. They have described how they had to hang their food in a tree to discourage bear visits, though they did not tell me what they would have done to scare off a bear if one had come sniffing around. Just in case you ever need to scare a bear, here is a book that might help.

Scare a Bear

Kathy-jo Wargin

Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 6

Sleeping Bear Press, 2010,

   Staying in little cabins in the woods during the summer vacation is something many children enjoy doing. There are so many activities to try, and adventures to have. There is one problem though. What should one do if a bear comes into camp? How do you scare a bear?

   Will the bear go away if you bang pots and pans, if you yell, or if you ring a “loud bell?” What if a bear isn’t easy to scare? What if loud noises and “big scary” poses have no effect on the bear at all. What if the bear decides to stay in the camp to swim, to fish, to have dinner, to sit by the campfire, and even – what a thought – to spend the night!

   This delightful picture book with its rhyming text and its amusing illustrations, will charm young readers who have an active imagination and who enjoy a good laugh.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Sixteen

Children often have a very hard time staying in bed - or at least staying quiet - when they are sick. When they read today's picture book, children will see how one sick rabbit child finds a way to make staying in bed interesting. 

Stay in bed, Davy

Brigitte Weninger

Illustrated by Eve Tharlet

Translated by Marianne Martens

Picture Book

Ages 6 to 9

North-South books, 2006, 978-0-7358-2048-7

   One day Davy comes up to his mother and he is in tears. He feels horribly sick, and there is nothing for it but for him to go to bed. Davy’s illness has come at a very bad time, because the Rabbit family were planning on going to visit Grandma. Worse still, she is making her “famous” blackberry pies, which are truly delicious.

   Thankfully, Davy’s friend Eddie and his cousin Kiki arrive. Eddie and Kiki offer to stay with Davy so that the rest of the Rabbit family can go to grandma’s house. If Davy has any problems, Eddie can “run home to get his mother.” Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit agree to the plan, though Mrs. Rabbit makes Davy promise that he will “stay in bed.”

   Soon after the family leaves, Davy comes up with an idea. Though his mother said that he had to stay in bed, she did not say “where the bed had to stay.” Without further ado, Kiki and Eddie drag Davy’s bed outside. Davy feels so much better in the fresh air and he begins to wish that they could play down by the stream. Then again, perhaps he can play by the steam after all.

   Sick children stuck in bed will surely enjoy reading about Davy’s bed-bound adventures. They will laugh when they see how Davy keeps his word to his mother and has fun at the same time.

   Eve Tharlet’s delightful illustrations perfectly capture Davy’s sun filled world.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Fifteen

Many years ago, we lived next to a family who had a large Rottweiler. Henry was on of the sweetest, gentlest and silliest dogs I have ever met. The dog in today's picture book is a lot like Henry. He is a great with children, and he and his little girl share a special bond

Follow Carl

Alexandra Day

Wordless Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998, 0-7374-3480-2

   Carl and his little girl have just woken up from a nap. There is a group of children outside their window, and they want Carl and his little girl to play Follow the Leader with them. They even offer Carl the job of being the leader. In a jiffy, Carl and his little girl are outside, and the game begins with a big stretch, which is what Carl likes to do after a nap.

   Next Carl hops onto a wall and he walks along it, with his little girl on his back and five small children following in his wake. This is then followed by a squirrel chase and then, in town, Carl and the children sit outside the local bakery and beg for a treat, which they get!

   In this wonderful picture book, Alexandra Day tells a charming story using only pictures (except for the two sentences that appear on the first page). She captures Carl’s patience, his good humor, and his love of life. This is a warming picture book that non-readers and readers alike will enjoy exploring.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Poetry Friday - A review of Holiday Stew

For today's Poetry Friday title, I have a collection of poems that is quite unique. In fact, I dipped into the book over a period of several days. It is the kind of book one can enjoy all year round.

Holiday Stew: A kid’s portion of holiday and seasonal poems

Jenny Whitehead

Poetry

For ages 6 to 9

Henry Holt, 2007, 0-8050-7715-4

   The year is full of memorable moments and great holidays. There is the day when the first flower blooms in the garden in spring, the day when the family goes to the beach in the summer, the day when Halloween pumpkins are carved, and the day when it is so cold outside that summer “Seems far away.”

   This book of poetry takes young readers through a full year of seasonal and holiday poems. The author begins by looking at spring, and she opens the season with a short and humorous poem about a child who is sneezing. He wonders if he has the flu or some kind of “Spring fever.” Then, it occurs to him that what ails him is very simple, he has allergies! Later in the spring section, there is a poem about St. Patrick’s Day where we are encouraged to dress in green, to bake soda bread, and to share an Irish toast when we raise our glasses of green milk.

   In the summer section there are poems about baseball games, sleepovers with friends, and there are five poetical coupons for Dad (for father’s day), one of which is for a “musical tribute for you.” There is a poem about camping, and one about fishing, and there is a poem about a flower party that has the names of eighteen flowers hidden in the text.

   For fall, the author looks at the last leaf to fall off the tree, what it is like to go on a hayride, and she gives her readers some ideas for what they should do with their leftover Halloween candy. There is even a poetic Thanksgiving Day Quiz to try.

   For the last season of the year, we begin by looking at winter in Australia (upside down) and what winter in the south would be like from the point of view of a child who is from the north. Don’t forget the five letters to Santa, once of which asks Santa to give the writer a lift in his sleigh.

   Throughout this book, wonderful rhymes that come in many forms are paired with delightful illustrations to give children a wonderful poetry experience. This celebration of seasonal doings and holidays is the kind of book you can dip into throughout the year.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Fourteen

When I was a child many of us, children and adults alike, eagerly waited for the next James Bond film to come out. A big group of us would go down to the local cinema theater to cheer on James Bond as he tackled and defeated bad guys. Later, as an adult, I read many of Ian Fleming's James Bond books. Now there is a series of books for young readers that are about the young James Bond. Today I have a review of the graphic novel version of the first Young Bond book. I know some of you will think that a graphic novel does not qualify as a picture book, but I thought I would bend the strict definition a little so that I could include some 'picture books' for older readers. 

Silverfin: The Graphic Novel

Charlie Higson

Illustrated by Kev Walker

Graphic Novel

Ages 10 and up

Hyperion, 2008, 978-142313022-2

   James Bond is not sure about being at Eton. It is a different world there and the rules and customs are rather irksome. Then there is the fact that one boy, an American by the name of George Hellebore, seems to be determined to make James’s life at school as miserable as possible. Every time they meet the two boys clash, and when James beats George in a cross-country race, the situation is only made worse.

   When he heads off for Scotland to spend the Easter holidays with his aunt Charmian and his ailing uncle Max, James hopes that he won’t have to think about George and their rivalry for a while. Unfortunately, he soon finds out that George’s father, Lord Hellebore, owns a castle not far from where James is going to be staying, and George is there. James can only hope that they will not have to meet at all.

   Soon after he arrives in Scotland, James joins Kelly, a London boy, in the search for a missing Scottish boy called Alfie. Their investigations lead them to the castle of Lord Hellebore next to Lake Silverfin. James has already encountered Lord Hellebore at Eton and he does not like the man. When James breaks into the castle one night he finds that his instincts about the Lord were on the mark. The man is definitely dangerous, and possibly quite mad as well. Lord Hellebore has a truly evil plan in the works, and James knows that he has to do everything he can to stop the plan from proceeding.

   Based on Charlie Higson’s first novel about the young James Bond, the story in this graphic novel is exciting and full of surprises. Readers will be intrigued to find out that James’ father and his uncle were both spies. Though his uncle warns James not to become a spy, it would appear that the boy has a knack for getting to the bottom of interesting puzzles.